I’m a frequent visitor to the r/webdev subreddit, and recently I came across a post where someone shared an interesting story. The original poster (OP) talked about a client who questioned why they should pay for a developer when AI tools could do the job. OP decided to part ways with the client, and most people in the comments agreed—if the client thinks AI can handle everything, they’ll get what they pay for: a generic, AI-generated website.
This got me thinking: is being a frontend developer still relevant in a world where tools like Bolt, Loveable.dev, and v0.dev can generate entire websites with minimal input?
When I started my career as a web developer, I was working with PHP, building websites using WordPress and the CodeIgniter framework. But what I enjoyed most was the browser—making changes in Firefox DevTools and seeing them live instantly. Back then, JavaScript wasn’t as enjoyable to work with. That changed with the rise of jQuery and other early frameworks like MooTools.
I’ll never forget the excitement of using a few lines of jQuery to fetch content from an API and update the DOM in real time. That’s when I knew frontend engineering was my calling.
Fast forward to today, and the landscape has changed dramatically. Frontend development has become far more complex. Frameworks like AngularJS built on ideas from Backbone.js and Knockout.js, paving the way for modern giants like React, Vue, and Svelte. React is so dominant now that you could call it the jQuery of this generation. We’re also in the era of meta-frameworks like Next.js and Nuxt, as well as static site generators like Astro, 11ty, and Hugo.
This question keeps coming up: is frontend development still a viable career path when AI tools can create websites in seconds?
Sure, you can use ChatGPT to whip up a Tailwind CSS-based website or tools like Bolt to generate and even publish a site. For simple landing pages, portfolios, or basic eCommerce sites, these tools are impressive. But try creating a complex eCommerce site with a proper sales funnel, or a website tailored to regional user preferences—these tools fall short.
AI lacks empathy. It doesn’t understand the psychological nuances of users from different regions or cultures. It doesn’t account for the brand value that comes with thoughtful design. And while AI tools are great at generating components (like a table in Tailwind or a React card component), they can’t tell you how or where to use them effectively. That’s where your expertise as a frontend developer comes in.
Let’s be real: AI is not here to replace skilled developers. It’s here to make us more productive by handling repetitive, tedious tasks. For example, generating boilerplate code or basic components is now faster than ever. But deciding how those components fit into a user-centered design requires experience and knowledge of UX principles.
Will AI replace mediocre developers who rely solely on tools? Maybe. But skilled professionals who understand the basics—things like the request-response cycle, accessibility, and unit testing—will always be in demand. AI should complement your skill set, not replace it.
One thing that concerns me about new developers is their over-reliance on AI tools. Many skip the basics entirely and jump straight into React without understanding how HTTP works or what happens in a server-client interaction. That’s a risky path. If you don’t know the fundamentals, you’ll struggle when AI tools fail to deliver exactly what you need.
In our time, we had to learn everything from scratch—debugging CSS with trial and error, manually setting up servers, and figuring out how APIs worked. These challenges taught us to think critically and solve problems creatively. Modern developers should aim to balance their use of AI tools with a solid foundation in web development basics.
Frontend development isn’t going anywhere, but the bar for entry is higher. Developers today have access to a wealth of tools that can make them more productive, but those tools don’t make them obsolete. Instead, they raise the expectations for what a developer should know and be able to do.
So, learn the basics. Read documentation. Use AI as an assistant, not a crutch. And most importantly, stay passionate about creating experiences that resonate with real people. AI can do a lot, but it can’t replicate human empathy—and that’s what makes us, as developers, irreplaceable.